Heating vent conduit

ABSTRACT

A heating vent conduit with a heater unit is disclosed, being primarily utilized to heat a room independently of other rooms. The heating vent conduit can be controlled a personal thermostat, which depending on the selected temperature will regulate a heating element within the heating vent conduit. The heating vent conduit is designed to be easily installed on existing ventilation systems by replacing the end boot at vent outlets, and will allow for individual preference and comfort by allowing independent room temperature, while lowering energy costs by reducing the main heater&#39;s workload.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/682,010, entitled VENT CONDUIT WITH INDEPENDENT HEATER, filed onAug. 10, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heating unit and, more specifically,to a heating vent conduit for installation in a ventilation system ascommonly found in buildings.

BACKGROUND

Great unwanted temperature variances exist between rooms or officeslocated through the same house or building, respectively. Thistemperature variance exists due in part to the properties of air,whereby hotter air is less dense and thus rises, while in comparison,colder air is denser and thus tends to remain at lower altitudes.Consequently, rooms or offices located at high altitudes tend to bewarmer while rooms or offices located at low altitudes tend to remaincooler.

This phenomenon is also illustrated due to the fact that the furtherrooms or offices are spatially located from a furnace or air conditioner(or any other device that distributes air), the longer said air takes totravel to these destinations and thus will either warm up or cool off,reducing its efficiency when it arrives at its destination through theventilation.

Centralized heating or air conditioning systems attempt to regulate theoverall temperature of a house or building. As such, the centralizedheater or air conditioner will send a constant flow of air to a mainvent conduit, which will distribute equally the air to all rooms. Thisposes the obvious problem that rooms located at high or low altitudes donot benefit as equally compared to other rooms that more centrallylocated, and as previously mentioned, the further the rooms are from thecentralized unit, the more the air is affected by ambient temperatures.

Devices exist, such as United States Patent Application No. 2011/0237175(Buseyne et al.) that teaches a device for heating, cooling andventilating systems. Buseyne's device is a centralized unit thatreceives air from another source, and redistributes air to nearby rooms.Every blowing orifice has its own unit for heating or treating the airbefore sending it off along the ventilation system before it reaches itsdestination. However, Buseyne's unit has major drawbacks. First, it isonce again (albeit spatially closer to the main unit) a centralizedsystem, such that the heaters that are located by the blowing orificeare still distant from the ultimate destinations. As such, air still hastime to cool off or warm up before arriving at its destination.Secondly, this device must completely replace existing ventilation at acentral hub in order to install and control.

Another major problem that exists in the field is the fact that theseindependent heating systems cannot be independently controlled from theroom itself. Indeed, there is usually a main thermostat that controlsthe overall heating, and thus users in their respective rooms or officescannot benefit from being able to select a desired temperature forthemselves.

Consequently, a device is needed that can overcome the problems asdescribed above. The present invention discloses a vent conduit with anindependent heater that can overcome said problems. The present ventconduit can be installed on existing ventilation in the home or officeby replacing the existing end boot at the blowing orifice, and has anindependent heater that can control temperatures specifically per roomas the air flows directly in said room. When multiple vent conduits withindependent heaters are installed in the same home or building, eachheater can be independently calibrated such that the height of the roomor office, or the distance of said room or office from the main heaterbecomes irrelevant. Indeed, each room or office can be cooled or warmedindependently of another depending on the desired and preferredtemperature of the specific occupier and based on the heater's specificcalibration (as set by the occupier). In order for the occupier toadjust the temperature of each independent heater, sensors (thermostats)are fitted in each room or office and are easily accessible by saidoccupier. To facilitate temperature change, each independent heater cancommunicate with the existing blower of the home or building and send arequest to activate the blower in order to maintain desired temperaturein said room or office. Further, the independent heaters each contain aspecific heating unit with a heating element, which can be easilyremoved to allow for cleaning and maintenance.

In essence, this overall solution creates a situation whereby each roomis independently heated, based on personal preferences, with eachoccupier being able to calibrate his or her heater. Additionally,different types of physical configurations exist in order to be fittedto the most common types of end boot configurations and to maximizeapplicability from various buildings and homes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a heating vent conduit with a heatingunit.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a heating ventconduit, comprising a vent boot having an inlet boot aperture and anoutlet boot aperture for connecting to a vent outlet. The heating ventconduit also has a base plate and a housing cover fastened to the ventboot on a first extremity of the housing cover and an inlet panel on asecond extremity of the housing cover. The heating vent conduit also hasan interchangeable, independent heater unit secured on the base plateand located within the housing cover and a thermostat remotely connectedto the heating vent conduit to enable control of the heater unit whereinthe heating vent conduit is fitted onto an existing ventilation conduitto enable independent control of heat at a vent outlet.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a heater unitcomprising a heater housing, at least one ceramic mount fastened on theheater housing, at least one heating element secured within the at leastone ceramic mount wherein the heater unit is installed in a heating ventconduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described byreference to the following figures. These figures are illustrative andare not intended to be limiting.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heating vent conduit according to afirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heating vent conduit without a housingcover or heater unit according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrative of a housing cover for aheating vent conduit according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are perspective views illustrative of a heater unitfor a heating vent conduit according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 c is a perspective view illustrative of a variant of a heaterunit for a heating vent conduit according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 d is a perspective view of a heater unit and structural memberfor a heating vent conduit according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrative of a heating vent conduit withan installed heater unit and without a housing cover according to afirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 a is a perspective view illustrative of a heating vent conduitwith an installed heater unit and without a housing cover or base plateaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 b is a side view of a heating vent conduit without a housingcover according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vent boot according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view illustrative of a heating ventconduit complete with accompanying wiring according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view illustrative of a heating vent conduit completewith accompanying wiring according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a room with an installed heating ventconduit, connected to both a blower and thermostat according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrative of a heating vent conduitaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a lower perspective view illustrative of a heating ventconduit according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an upper perspective view illustrative of a heating ventconduit according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrative of a heating vent conduitwithout the front panel according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is a first perspective view illustrative of a heater unit for aheating vent conduit according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention for a heater unit; and

FIG. 16 is a second perspective view illustrative of a heater unit for aheating vent conduit according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention for a heater unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intendedto be limiting. It will be appreciated that various modifications and/oralterations to the embodiments described herein may be made withoutdeparting from the invention and any modifications and/or alterationsare within the scope of the contemplated invention.

The terms “coupled” and “connected”, along with their derivatives, maybe used herein. It should be understood that these terms are notintended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments,“connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are indirect physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may beused to indicated that two or more elements are in either direct orindirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical orelectrical contact with each other, or that the two or more elementsco-operate or interact with each other (e.g. as in a cause and effectrelationship).

With reference to FIG. 1 and according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, a heating vent conduit 10 is shown. The heating vent conduit10 is generally comprised of a housing cover 15 and a vent boot 20. Oneextremity of the housing cover 15 is fastened to an inlet panel 17 bymeans of rivets, while the opposite extremity of the housing cover 15 iscomprised of connecting members (not shown) that slide into first andsecond clamps (not shown) located on the front panel 45 of the vent boot20. The housing cover 15 is fastened to the vent boot 20 on a firstextremity of the housing cover 15 and an inlet panel 17 is fastened on asecond extremity of the housing cover 15. The connection between thehousing cover 15 and the vent boot 20 is meant to allow for air to flowunrestrictedly from an inlet aperture 35 of the inlet panel 17, throughto the housing cover 15, into an inlet boot aperture (not shown) of thevent boot 20 and ultimately out of the outlet boot aperture 30 of thevent boot 20. The heating vent conduit 10 can be secured within a wall,ceiling, or other accommodating structure which supports ventilationsystems. The heating vent conduit 10 can be fastened to the structure bymeans of first housing securing bracket 25 and second housing securingbracket (not shown), as well as first and second boot securing brackets,40, 42. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that manytypes of fastening means could be utilized in order for the heating ventconduit to be stabilized within a ventilation system, and that first andsecond boot securing means 40, 42 could be removed completely, or becomprised of apertures on the vent boot 20 to facilitate manufacturing.A wire housing 47 can also be seen, fastened to the front panel 45 ofthe vent boot 20 by means of screws, such that it can be removed. Thewire housing 47 serves to house wiring for a Printed Circuit Board “PCB”(not shown) and wiring to a male/female connector (not shown) as well aswiring for a heater unit (not shown) installed within the heating ventconduit 10 of the present invention. A worker skilled in the art wouldbe familiar with other types of wiring configurations for a heating ventconduit with a heater unit that could be utilised for other common typesof vent boot configurations as presently located in homes or buildings.

With reference to FIG. 2 and according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, the heating vent conduit 10 is shown without a housing coverand a heater unit. The inlet boot aperture 21 is shown, allowing air toflow from the inlet boot aperture 21 through to the outlet boot aperture30. A structural member 50 is also shown which is fastened to the insideof the housing cover (not shown) by means of rivets. The structuralmember 50 serves the dual purpose of reinforcing the housing cover (notshown) and securing in place a heater unit (not shown). While thehousing cover (not shown) is connected to the vent boot 20 by means ofrivets; first and second clamps 55, 57 are also shown, which serve toconnect to first and second connecting members (not shown) of thehousing cover (not shown) to further secure said housing cover to thevent boot 20. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate thatsaid first and second clamps 55, 57 could be removed such that thehousing cover would connect to the vent boot solely by means of rivets.With further reference to FIG. 2, a base plate 18 is shown and securesfirst and second housing securing bracket 25, 27. A worker skilled inthe relevant art would be familiar with means to produce the inlet panel17 and base plate 18 as a one piece component or as a two piececomponent.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, and according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the structural member 50 is shown fitted within thehousing cover 15. The wire housing 47 is also shown, which directs powerwires (not shown) and PCB wires (not shown) through a housing wireaperture 48 and to the male/female connector (not shown). First andsecond connecting members 52, 54 can also be seen on the housing cover15, which serve to slide into the first and second clamps 55 and 57 ofthe front panel 45 of the vent boot 20 which act as a locking mechanismto keep the housing cover 15 secured to the vent boot 20.

With reference to FIGS. 4 a and 4 b and according to one embodiment ofthe present invention, a heater unit 70 is shown. The heater unit 70 iscomprised of a heating element 75, secured in three ceramic mounts 80,82, 84 which are in turn encased in a heater housing 85. The ceramicmounts 80, 82, 84 are fastened to the heater housing 85 by means ofclips 90, 92, 94 which clamp around the width of the ceramic mounts 80,82 84. The clips 90, 92, 94 are secured to the ceramic mounts 80, 82, 84by means of screws 86. The ceramic mounts 80, 82, 84 are perforated suchthat the heating element 75 can snake through the perforations andoccupy the area in between the ceramic mounts 80, 82, 84. Air that flowsin the resulting space in between the snaking heating element 75 becomeswarmer before it exits through the inlet boot aperture (not shown) ofthe heating vent conduit of the present invention. First and secondheating joints 96, 98 are also shown, which serve to connect to firstand second coupling members (not shown) to conduct electricity and thusheat the heating element 75 to the desired temperature. Various sealingmembers 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105 protrude from the heater unit 70 inorder both prevent the heating unit 70 from moving forward into thehousing cover (not shown), and to create air seals such that air isforced to flow through the heating element 75 and cannot otherwiseescape. The sealing members 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105 are furtherdescribed below.

With reference to FIGS. 4 c and 4 d and according to a variant of thefirst embodiment of the heater unit, the heater unit 70 is comprisedsolely of sealing members 97, 99, 103, 105. The removal of sealingmembers 95, 101 (not shown) allows for wiring to move unobstructedlyfrom the wire housing (not shown), into the area adjacent of the heaterunit 70 and through to the other electrical components (not shown). Inorder to preserve the air seal and for air to continue to movepredominantly through the heating element 75, the first side 51 of thestructural member 50 is wider than the second side 52 of said structuralmember 50, such that the first side 51 makes contact directly with theframe of the heater unit 70. Meanwhile, the second side 52 of thestructural member 50 remains flush with sealing member 97, as was thecase with the first embodiment of the heater unit.

With specific reference to FIGS. 5, 6 a and 6 b and according to oneembodiment of the present invention, the heater unit 70 is locatedbetween the front panel 45 of the vent boot 20 and the structural member50. As was previous explained, the heater unit 70 is further comprisedof first and second structural sealing members 95, 97 as well as a lowerstructural sealing member 99 in order to create an airtight seal betweensaid heater unit 70 and the structural member 50, and to prevent theheater unit 70 from moving further forward. The heater unit 70 is alsocomprised of first and second front panel sealing members 101, 103 aswell as a lower front panel sealing member 105 which serve to createanother airtight seal between said heater unit 70 and the front panel 45of the vent boot 20. Once properly positioned, the airtight seal createdbetween the structural member 50, the front panel 45, and the heaterunit 70, restricts air flowing originating from the inlet aperture 35 ofthe inlet panel 17, through to the housing cover (not shown), into aboot inlet aperture (not shown), through the vent boot 20, andultimately through to the boot outlet aperture 30. The heater unit 70 isdesigned to be removable and interchangeable, such that it can pivotaround its base and be removed from the outlet boot aperture 30 of thevent boot 20. This facilitates cleaning of the heater unit 70, as wellas allowing for easy repairs or replacing of the heater unit 70entirely. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate anotherembodiment of the heater unit, whereby the removal of said heater unitwould be facilitated by means of small wheels located on the lower endof the heater unit. The heater unit would be removable by pivoting theheater unit around said wheels and retracting the heater unit, glidingit along the way up the vent boot by means of its wheels.

With specific reference to FIGS. 6 a and 6 b, and according to oneembodiment of the present invention, the heater unit 70 is shown sealedin between the front panel 45 of the vent boot 20 and the structuralmember 50 in greater detail. In particular, the first and secondstructural sealing members 95, 97 are shown secured against thestructural member 50, while first and second front panel sealing members101, 103 are shown secured against the front panel 45 of the vent boot20.

With reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, and according to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the interior of the vent boot 20 is shown. Inorder for the heater unit 70 to be operational, a source of electricityor power has to be provided to said unit.

With specific reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, power is fed to the ventconduit 10 by means of power wires 110 entering the vent boot 20 via apower supply cover 115. Power wires 110 then are fitted through a firstwire aperture 120 of the front panel 45 and into the wire housing 47.From the wire housing 47, the power wires 110 are connected into amale/female connector 125. PCB wires 130 are also shown, which connectfrom a PCB 135 in through a second wire aperture 140 of the front panel45. From the second wire aperture 140, the PCB wires 130 go into thewire housing 47, and through to the male/female connector 125. From themale/female connector 125, power wires 110 and PCB wires 130 areconnected to first and second coupling members 145, 147, and power wires110 are specifically connected to thermal protector 150. The currentflowing through power wires 110 serve to heat the heating element (notshown) of the heater unit 70. The thermal protector 150 acts as abreaker, cutting the flow of power from the power wires 110 and the PCBwires 130 through the heating element (not shown) when the airflow isinsufficient and the heating element (not shown) is overheating. Aworker skilled in the relevant art would be familiar with various typesof thermal protectors and breakers that could be utilized in order toperform the function as described above.

With reference to FIG. 9, communication wires 155 are also shown, whichare connected to the PCB 135 and into a 3-pole connector 160. From the3-pole connector 160, the communication wires 155 are fitted through athird wire aperture 165 (as shown in FIG. 7) and are either connected toa blower to regulate airflow, or to another vent conduit in a daisychain connection. Ultimately, all vent conduits connected via daisychain can communicate to the blower to regulate airflow and temperaturethroughout their respective environments.

With reference to FIG. 10, the heating vent conduit 10 is showninstalled in a room of a house with a commonly found ventilation systemwith a vent outlet 5. The heating vent conduit 10 is connected tocommunications wires 155, which follow the ventilation through to aconnection panel 170 of a blower 175. As explained above, saidcommunication wires 155 can serve to regulate airflow to the ventconduit 10. The vent conduit 10 is also electrically connected to powerwires 110 which are in turn connected to a thermostat 180. A person canconfigure the thermostat 180 to keep the room at a desired temperature,and the thermostat will regulate the heating vent conduit 10accordingly. The thermostat 180 is electrically connected to a powersource via thermostat wiring 185.

With reference to FIG. 11, a second embodiment of the heating ventconduit 10 is shown. In this second embodiment, a narrower version ofthe vent boot 20 is shown. As such, the resulting outlet boot aperture30 is also narrower but still allows for air to flow through to theheater unit (not shown), and ultimately through the inlet aperture 35 ofthe housing 15. The narrower vent boot 20 reflects another type and sizeof vent conduit in the market. A worker skilled in the art wouldappreciate that different shapes and sizes of vent boots or housings canbe utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 12, 13 and 14, a third embodiment of the heatingvent conduit 10 is shown. In this third embodiment, the overall layoutof the heating vent conduit 10 has changed. While the outlet bootaperture 30 is in approximately the same spatial vicinity as was thecase for the first and second embodiments, the inlet aperture 35 is nowbelow the heating vent conduit 10, such that the air flow travels in anupward direction, from the inlet aperture 35 of the housing 15, throughto the heater unit 70 and an inlet boot aperture (not shown), and out ofthe outlet boot aperture 30 of the vent boot 20. In this embodiment, thehousing 15 is much narrower, and is mounted on each side by first andsecond housing brackets 25, 27. The vent boot 20 and front panel 45 areapproximately of the same shape as was the case in the first embodiment.Male/female connector 125, PCB 135 and 3-pole connector 160 are allshown in greater detail, and serve the same purposes as was described inthe first embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the heater unit 70 according toanother embodiment of the heater unit is shown in greater detail. Inthis third embodiment, the heater unit 70 is wider and thus accommodatesfour ceramic mounts, 80, 82, 84, (fourth ceramic mount not shown),instead of three ceramic mounts as was the case in the first embodiment.The heating element 75 is also shown, but said heating element 75 is notshown fastened throughout all of the perforations of the ceramic mounts80, 82, 84 for illustrative purposes. In this third embodiment, ceramicmounts 80, 82, 84 are not fastened into place by clips, as was the casein the first embodiment. In this embodiment, ceramic mounts 80, 82, 84are locked into place by forcing each extremity of ceramic mounts 80,82, 84 into a locking aperture 190. Said locking aperture 190 holds theceramic mounts 80, 82, 84 securely into place without the need of clipsand screws, as was the case in the first embodiment. The ceramic mounts80, 82, 84 simply need to be wedged into the locking aperture 190. Theedges of locking aperture 190 tighten around the ceramic mounts 80, 82,84 such that they are difficult to remove without exerting a significantamount of force. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciatethat these various types of fastening means for the ceramic mounts areinterchangeable between the first, second and third embodiments. Theheater unit 70 in this embodiment also comprises of a mesh grill 195that prevents debris and other larger particles from making contact withthe heating element. The thermal protector 150 is also shown in greaterdetail, which again serves to act as a breaker to cut the flow of powerwhen the airflow is insufficient and the heating element 75 isoverheating. In this embodiment, there also exists a fusible link 200,which melts at a certain temperature and serves as an additional breakershould the thermal protector 150 be broken or not functioning properly.A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that many types offusible links could be utilized here to achieve the desired effect, andthat the fusible link 200 or any variations thereof could be added toany of the other embodiments without departing from the scope and spiritof the invention.

The heating vent conduit as disclosed and described in the presentinvention allows for independent control of the temperature in a room inorder to accommodate an individual's personal temperature preference. Itshould be noted that all users will be able to adjust the temperaturesettings according to the thermostat such that the rooms or offices willdiffer one from the other and accommodate everyone individually. Indeed,in lieu of having the ventilation system provide increased heat to theentire building resulting in the entire home or building having anaggregate uniform temperature (thus unfortunately allowing fordiscrepancies between room temperatures), the present invention allowsfor the independent control of heat in a room with a main source of heatat a lower rate. This will reduce overall energy costs, as theventilation system will have a reduced workload and have the heatingvent conduits of the present invention compensate for the reducedworkload, while simultaneously maximizing comfort for each occupier.

The present heating vent conduit can be installed on existingventilation in the home or office by replacing the existing end boot atthe blowing orifice, and has an independent heater that can controltemperatures specifically per room as the air flows directly in saidroom through a thermostat.

Many modifications of the embodiments described herein as well as otherembodiments may be evident to a person skilled in the art having thebenefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description andassociated drawings. It is understood that these modifications andadditional embodiments are captured within the scope of the contemplatedinvention which is not to be limited to the specific embodimentdisclosed.

We claim:
 1. A heating vent conduit, comprising: a. a vent boot havingan inlet boot aperture and an outlet boot aperture for connecting to avent outlet; b. a base plate; c. a housing cover fastened to the ventboot on a first extremity of the housing cover and an inlet panel on asecond extremity of the housing cover; d. an interchangeable,independent heater unit secured on the base plate and located within thehousing cover; e. a thermostat remotely connected to the heating ventconduit to enable control of the heater unit; and wherein the heatingvent conduit is fitted onto an existing ventilation conduit to enableindependent control of heat at a vent outlet.
 2. The heating ventconduit according to claim 1 further comprising boot securing bracketson the vent boot.
 3. The heating vent conduit according to claim 1further comprising housing securing brackets connected to the baseplate.
 4. The heating vent conduit according to claim 1 wherein thehousing cover further comprises an inlet panel with an inlet aperture.5. The heating vent conduit according to claim 1 further comprising astructural member fastened to the housing cover.
 6. The heating ventconduit according to claim 1 wherein the heater unit comprises at leastone heating element, wherein a temperature of the at least one heatingelement is controlled by the thermostat.
 7. The heating vent conduitaccording to claim 6 wherein the heater unit further comprises at leastone perforated ceramic mount to support the at least one heatingelement.
 8. The heating vent conduit according to claim 7 wherein theheater unit further comprises at least two sealing members, wherein theat least two sealing members prevent air from escaping an area definedby the at least one heating element.
 9. A heater unit comprising: a. aheater housing; b. at least one ceramic mount fastened on the heaterhousing; c. at least one heating element secured within the at least oneceramic mount; and wherein the heater unit is installed in a heatingvent conduit.
 10. The heater unit according to claim 9 furthercomprising at least one clip to secure the at least one ceramic mountwithin the heater housing.
 11. The heater unit according to claim 10further comprising at least one locking aperture to secure the at leastone ceramic mount within the heater housing.
 12. The heater unitaccording to claim 11 further comprising at least one sealing member.